The Briefing

 Emma Nelson is live from our headquarters in the city that has just topped the IMD’s global Smart City Index. Plus: an alliance unfolding between Al-Qaeda and Houthis in Yemen and the start of the Venice Film Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Istanbul for Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s first-ever Mecca Defence Alliance meeting. Then we’re off to Milan to discuss Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s new era of stability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are seven months to go before the first round of the election that will find a replacement for outgoing leader Emmanuel Macron. As politicians return to their offices after the summer break, we look at the runners and riders in this presidential race, and what the latest polls tell us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of Harald V’s passing, we explore why monarchy still influences an increasingly divided geopolitical landscape. Then: Dubai airport perseveres amid war and Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon next week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Volkswagen’s CEO Klaus Blume and unions are clashing over massive job cuts. Plus: New York Mayor Mamdani takes on Fifth Avenue. And: The Global Countdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Spanish government requests emergency EU funding as the cabinet holds an extraordinary meeting over the Ceuta crisis. Then: how to fail upwards in business. And: Australia bans AI-generated music from its charts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington says that it is recognising Damascus’s positive moves to distance itself from international terrorism. Syria’s foreign minister calls the decision a “historic step”. We look at what the Trump administration’s decision means.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK prime minister is in Kyiv on his first foreign trip, boosting Ukrainian missile production and defying Russian threats. Plus: Iran “D-Day” hyperbole shrugged off by markets and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Bangkok as Myanmar’s post-coup leadership arrives for a diplomatic push. What does it mean for a government to gain legitimacy? Then: Rail Baltica brings the Baltics ever closer. Plus: Rob Bound previews ‘Monocle on Culture’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As pressure mounts on Zelensky amid calls for elections, what does the scandal mean for Ukraine’s morale? Plus: Can design be a vehicle for development in post-industrial cities; and a flick through Monocle’s September issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is launching an Arctic Sea route as an alternative to the fraught Middle East shipping lanes. How would this shift global ties? Plus: will Moldova and Romania merge? Then: Libyan reggae and Lebanese city-pop with Habibi Funk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How has Oman found itself in the firing line of the United States? And what is its motivation to reach a deal with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz? Plus: chef-turned-CEO Hugo Worsley and shoe designer Yuki Matsuda.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US pushes to revive its Gaza peace plan as Jared Kushner meets Hamas and Israeli officials. Plus: Anita Riotta previews ‘The Foreign Desk’ and Fernando Augusto Pacheco tells us about ‘Monocle Meets’.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Japan slams Putin’s recent visit to the disputed Northern Territories, we discuss what history tells us about how these matters are resolved. Then: the Gulf gears up for EVs and Eurovision proposes major voting changes.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As two of president Donald Trump’s most fervent former acolytes talk about forming a new party, we assess the future of Maga. Plus: what Ottawa’s nightlife mayor can teach the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukraine’s president warns that Pyongyang is increasingly bolstering Putin’s war effort. We ask what the fresh shipments of ground troops and weapons could mean for other Asian powers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Korea announces major ambitions for its defence industry. What does Seoul’s focus on American ships and locally produced chips tell us? Then: European retailers are creating communities in the US market. Is this the future of luxury?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a second shooting in less than a week rocks Thailand, we head to Bangkok for the latest. Then: what economic opportunities exist in climate action? Plus: the future of Schengen and the allure of the cinema. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Bangkok first for an update from James Chambers on a tragic school shooting in the city. Then: we dive into corporate earnings to see which sectors are leading the pack. Plus: the CEOs of Bombardier and Qantas.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We visit a photography exhibition that takes us through the decades of American city life. Plus: we get the latest on a possible Iran-Oman deal, and Fernando Augusto Pacheco brings us ‘The Global Countdown’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julia Webster Ayuso reports on the redevelopment of Barcelona’s La Rambla. Then: the increasing demand for tree services and suppliers as Europe grapples with heatwaves. Plus: an update from the first day of Taiwan’s annual military drills. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore what it means for Boeing’s Max 7 to finally get off the ground. Plus: Japan’s currency intervention and the latest in hotel design with Monocle’s Nic Monisse. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In both the Hamas disarmament deal and upcoming talks with Lebanon in Rome, Israel refuses to withdraw. We discuss what that says about regional dynamics. Then: ‘The Foreign Desk’ explores the “Nerd Reich”; RFK Jr’s new cooking show; and local fashion becomes political.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France’s interior minister says optimism remains even as firefighters work to get the blazes in southwestern France under control. Then: we head to Mallorca for the opening of a new Mandarin Oriental. Plus: a conversation with the president of Japanese eyewear brand Globe Specs.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We head to Peru, where Keiko Fujimori has been inaugurated, to explore how she fits into the cast of characters reshaping politics in Latin America. Plus: the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi sets an opening date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.